Why do we need to plan? What is the best way to plan? As schools become increasingly responsible for their own affairs, these are just two of the critical questions which school leaders must address. Values Based Strategic Planning is an exciting new approach which is delightfully simple to operate and which involves everyone in the school and accounts for people's fundamental beliefs about education and schooling. The whole process can be completed in one day, and the result is a strategic plan that reflects the school's priorities and has the wholehearted commitment of those who have to put it into operation. The first section of the book, on strategic planning, leadership, organisational design and how to rethink the school's purpose, is particularly valuable to leaders who need a thorough understanding of strategic planning and to students of education management. The second section provides a step-by-step guide to Values Based Strategic Planning along with all the materials needed to run the process in your school. Values Based Strategic Planning has been used with great success in many organisations and promises to transform the planning process in schools into one that really works and that wins the hearts and minds of those involved.